Rodrigo Valley 3

Category: Nature > Park

District: Évora > Évora > Évora > Nossa Senhora da Tourega e Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe

Location

The Vale de Rodrigo 3 monument is located in the rural area of Évora, within the Union of Parishes of Nossa Senhora da Tourega and Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe. Its position is in a vast and wide valley, crossed by a stream that joins the Ribeira de Valverde, part of the Sado basin. This natural environment offers a sense of isolation and harmony with the Alentejo landscape.

Memory of Ancient Times

Vale de Rodrigo 3 is a megalithic monument, a testament to human presence in the Alentejo during the period stretching from approximately 4000 BC to 3000 BC. Its original function was funerary, serving as a burial place for the prehistoric communities that inhabited this region. When visiting this site, one has the opportunity to contemplate a structure erected millennia ago, transporting observers to a remote era of history.

Megalithic Structure

This dolmen is characterized by its trapezoidal chamber of considerable dimensions, measuring about seven meters in length by three and a half meters in width. Currently, ten orthostats, or vertical stones, which formed the walls of this chamber, can be observed. The original covering, a large slab that would have crowned the structure, is now on the ground in the vicinity of the monument. Unlike other dolmens, this one shows no traces of an access corridor, suggesting a more direct configuration. The entire construction was carried out with blocks of coarse-grained granite, a material abundant in the surrounding landscape.

A Heritage Legacy

The historical and cultural value of Vale de Rodrigo 3 is recognized, being classified as a Property of Public Interest. This classification underlines its importance as a historical-cultural landmark, a remarkable vestige of the art and engineering of our ancestors. Its preservation allows for a better understanding of the practices and beliefs of the communities that lived here thousands of years ago, making the visit an experience of direct contact with the depth of the history of the Évora territory.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt